Leading the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021–2030: A Multi-Partner Trust Fund to Mobilize Global Action

Ecosystem degradation poses an increasing threat to key objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Against this background, the United Nations has proclaimed the Decade for Ecosystem Restoration (UN Decade). The Multi Partner Trust Fund (MPTF) acts as the funding vehicle for the UN Decade, fostering a global movement in support of the three UN Decade goals: changing societal norms and catalysing investments in restoration, mobilising political will that leads to reforms incentivising restoration, and building technical capacities. Activities include global dialogues and partnerships, communication and awareness building, support of selected flagship programmes, and monitoring progress in ecosystem restoration. The outcomes of these interventions will be the development of a global restoration culture and a new restoration economy, which greatly accelerates the starting and scaling up of restoration initiatives.

Project data

IKI funding: 21,000,000.00 €
Duration: 09/2021 till 11/2025
Status: open
Implementing organisation: United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment)
Political Partner: Diverse climate change relevant institutions in the respective partner countries/Diverse klimarelevante Institutionen in den entsprechenden Partnerländern
Implementing Partner: Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) - Switzerland

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

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State of implementation/results

The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration is in its implementation phase, spotlighting 17 Flagship initiatives that collectively aim to restore over 100 million hectares and create more than 5 million green jobs. These World Restoration Flagships are characterized by their innovative approaches, extensive experience, and a wide network of participants.
Five Task Forces - Best Practices, Finance, Monitoring, Science, and Youth - are supporting these Flagships. The Science and Best Practices Task Forces lead transparent selection processes, supported by a review panel of 34 members from the Decade Advisory Board, Task Forces, and global partners.
The ongoing media campaign for the seven new UN World Restoration Flagships (WRF) has resulted in 567 articles across 510 outlets in 64 countries, reaching over 1 billion readers, with coverage from prominent outlets like CNN, The Guardian, and Pakistan Press International.
Notable communication and advocacy was the involvement at UNFCCC COP28 with an official Restoration Day.
During World Environment Day 2024, a global campaign spanned digital and print media across Africa, Europe, and North America. A Practical Guide on Land Degradation and Restoration, downloaded over 60,000 times, accompanied the campaign along with a viral social media challenge that engaged celebrities, communities, children, and youth around the world.
A second call for the Youth Taskforce was launched from 5th to 22nd September 2024 to select 25 passionate youth representatives who will contribute their voices and actions to this global initiative. The Youth Taskforces Second Term will begin by the end of the year, strengthening the Decades youth engagement efforts.
The UN Decade website saw 381,245 views, with subscriptions reaching 35,000. It remains UNEPs most popular site, hosting 52 stories, 79 events, and 18 publications from numerous partners.
A Business Enhancement Group (BEG) under the UN Decades Advisory Board has progressed from planning to active strategy development, aiming to scale up the Flagships through private sector engagement.
Challenge 5.1 of the Action Plan, co-led by the International Land Coalition and the UN Decade, is advancing efforts to secure the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities as stewards of restoration, promoting a movement of community-led restoration efforts worldwide.
The UN Decades partner network has grown to over 250 organizations, with new alliances forming regularly. Events in the second half of 2024 include Restoration Day on 30 October and Forest Day on 25 October at CBD COP16, showcasing UN Decade initiatives. Additionally, the Decades was presented at UNCCD COP16, focusing on Land and Peoples Days, demonstrating a continued commitment to global advocacy and collaboration.
For monitoring and transparency, the headline indicator tracking restoration areas for Target 2 of the Global Biodiversity Framework has been updated and is nearing finalization. The FERM platform, developed as the primary monitoring tool for Target 2, integrates data from platforms like Restor, the Restoration Barometer, PRAIS, and FRA, improving consistency and data alignment. A search engine of good restoration practices, launched in June 2023, enhances transparency and offers accessible insights into effective restoration practices.
The Monitoring Task Force grew in 2023, adding 63 new members for a total of 407 members from over 120+ organizations. Two full task force meetings were conveyed, and a workshop co-organized by FAO and CBD was held in Rome in November 2023.